Weekly Climate Summary: 9/10/2023-9/16/2023
Climate in the News:
Extreme weather has proven time and time again to have major impacts on people and their property. Due to increased frequency in these extreme events, it is vital to ensure we are all properly prepared. Each year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regards September as National Preparedness Month. The overall goal is to educate the public on natural disasters that can threaten their lives and property and serve as a guide in making the necessary preparations to better weather these events. This year’s focus is on older citizens who can be more susceptible to extreme weather impacts and have increased difficulty in properly preparing. FEMA’s theme for September 2023 is “Take Control in 1, 2, 3”, which encourages preparations to be made in three simple steps:
- Assess your needs - Identify the specific requirements you and your family would have in an emergency.
- Make a plan - After assessing your needs, you need to plan where to go, what to do, and what supplies you need.
- Engage your support network - Sometimes your needs may require additional assistance, in which case your neighbors, friends, and family can come in clutch.
More helpful resources can be found on FEMA’s website (https://www.fema.gov) and Ready.gov’s website (https://www.ready.gov). Below is one example of several resources provided by these websites that can help you better prepare yourself and those around you.
Source: Ready.gov
Weather Synopsis:
Starting Monday (Sept. 11), a cold front began pushing southward across the state, bringing with it much-needed rainfall across several locations. Below is a surface analysis depicting this cold front at 10 A.M. September 12th. By Wednesday morning, the front stalled out in South Texas followed by a slow retreat northward due to a strong southerly wind from the Gulf. Saturday morning saw a fast moving cold front form and travel across the state, eventually combining with the previously-formed boundary and pushing through the rest of South Texas. These fronts made for some interesting weather in terms of varying temperature and precipitation throughout the week. Overall, it seems September-like weather is finally here.
Source: Weather Prediction Center
Temperature:
Last week brought much cooler temperatures than previous weeks. The warmest portions had temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit with the highest average recorded at 90.6 degrees in Starr County. The majority of the state had temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees while parts of the Panhandle fell below 70 degrees. The coolest weekly average was 66.6 degrees in Dallam County. Overall, while temperatures were much cooler than previous weeks, they were mostly within 3 degrees of normal. Only a few counties in South Texas had temperatures exceeding 3 degrees above normal.
Precipitation:
For the first time in quite a while, almost the entire state saw some measurable precipitation accumulations. Many of these totals exceeded 0.5” with the highest total recorded at 6.21” in Lubbock County. This much-needed rain brought a bit of relief to many Texans, but the severity of drought will require quite a bit more precipitation to really make a dent in the dry conditions.
Records/Extremes:
- September 10 - Dallam County - 1.75” hail fell outside of Texline.
- September 12 - Callahan County - 1.75” hail fell in Cross Plains.
- September 15 - Lamb County - 1.75” hail fell in the town of Earth.
- September 16 - Hidalgo County - A landspout formed near La Villa. A video was posted of this event, depicting a condensation funnel at the ground reaching about halfway up to the parent storm above.
- September 16 - Dickens County - 90 mph winds were recorded near McAdoo.
